


From Seoul - A Block B AU

by mashihosdad



Category: Block B
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:48:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25054171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mashihosdad/pseuds/mashihosdad
Summary: From Seoul. Jaehyo's favorite corner of Seoul. After entering the small bakery for the first time, Jaehyo found himself addicted. The pastries were amazing, the cakes; a delicacy. However, what really mattered to the tall male was the manager. Jihoon was his addiction. The only barriers preventing this love from being exposed are his own denial and a small pet shop worker named Lee Taeil.
Relationships: Ahn Jaehyo/Pyo Jihoon | P.O., Lee Taeil/Pyo Jihoon | P.O., Park Kyung/Woo Jiho | Zico
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter One

‘Ding’; the familiar melody ran through Jaehyo’s ears for the second time that evening. Two visits in one day, excessive. Two visits in the span of an hour, slightly ridiculous; yet the tall male found himself creating an array of constant excuses in order to visit his favourite corner of Seoul. The consistency of his visits would shock any other man, yet Jihoon didn’t question why he saw the brunette enter his shop so regularly; he knew the taste of his cooking was addictive and that was enough to convince him that his visits were entirely justified. Jaehyo let his eyelids flutter shut for a moment as he placed his left foot flat on the ground, past the threshold of the bakery. Whilst he would never admit just how much the scent of the baker’s goods intoxicated him, the near orgasmic expression, obvious on his gentle features; was enough to tell the population of the small shop exactly how he was feeling. Unaware of the vaguely lewd look on his face, the male let out an audible sigh of relief at the sight of his favourite member of staff. The branded ‘From Seoul’ bakery merchandise that the staff wore brought a smile to his face at every sight; especially when Jihoon wore it. He would pray that it would never become common knowledge that he had a large collection of the very items, nor that he slept in his very own ‘From Seoul’ shirt in order to feel closer to his favourite shop after hours. Needless to say, he was a big fan; a fan of the baked goods that was. He was positive all he felt for the large male now in directly in his line of sight was friendship envy, yet the lack of salvation and relief that came after he left the building each night attempted to convince him otherwise. He had Jihoon’s friendship, what else could he desire? 

Before Jaehyo could even comprehend speech, Jihoon’s words interrupted his own. The shop was only small, yet the male felt the need to shout over to his regular, causing a slight reaction of shock from the few customers inside. Jaehyo expected this joyful greeting every time he entered From Seoul, yet still never got used to it. Taking a fairly well-hidden deep breath, he made his way to the counter, unable to hide the grin that forced itself onto his lips as he saw the other male up close. Without any warning Jihoon gently kissed three of his own fingertips and reached over the counter to press the same fingers gently to Jaehyo’s cheek. Jaehyo’s mouth fell open in shock before he could process the action, a subdued red glow instantaneously surfacing on the soft skin of his cheeks. His hands followed next, covering his cheeks in embarrassment; his eyes continuing to blink fast, his brain replaying the moment over and over. He shook his head, still flushed, and brought his hands away from his face; unable to conjure up any words to save him in the moment. Jihoon spoke instead: “nice to see you again, Jae...”. Following his speech, he reached to grab a coffee that had just been made, leaning back over to Jaehyo and quickly stating “wait there” before he made his way around the counter and out to a table where a customer was sitting. He placed the coffee cup down gently as Jaehyo watched from afar, amazed at his charisma, wishing the moment to never stop so he could continue to watch Jihoon from distance. He liked Jihoon from a distance a lot; he loved to admire his work and experience the smell from the beautifully baked goods. Jihoon up close, however, he was terrified of. He was unsure what part of the younger man made his heart beat so fast, made breathing so indescribably difficult; but one thing he knew for sure, was that he struggled to relax when he was near. Yet Jaehyo couldn’t deny that he enjoyed it. 

As the last customer left the store, shouting a thanks to Jihoon for his good service; Jaehyo immediately felt his muscles relax. Gone was the feeling of constantly being on edge. He was alone with Jihoon now, all the attention was his. Shooting the older male his signature full-face grin, Jihoon reached into the display case, beginning to clean out the remnants of pastries from the day beforehand, yet still managing to keep his eyes focused on his last customer. “Staying for leftovers, Jae?” He teased, resulting in a sharp inhalation of breath from the other. Jaehyo hadn’t been expecting the question, the familiar sensation of blood rushing to his cheeks appearing once more. Cursing under his breath, he attempted to look away, peering around the store as he spoke as to not show the other his red face. “I...yes...if you don’t mind Jihoon…leftovers. They would be nice”. Jihoon’s own chuckle followed the elders words, and then a comforting sentence of his own: “Relax, Jaejae…It’s just us now”. He grinned, standing up to his full height and placing a plate with various pastries ,that Jaehyo hadn’t witnessed him preparing, in front of the nervous male. Following the plates departure from his large hands, Jihoon reached to place a gentle hand on Jaehyo's shoulder, rubbing his thumb across the linen of his shirt reassuringly. “Relax.” Jaehyo nodded, swallowing, having turned back to face Jihoon by now, and took a deep breath before uttering a slightly overconfident “Thank you Jihoon!”, the volume of his voice in juxtaposition to the quiet café only heightening his embarrassment. 

Having witnessed Jihoon disappear back down to below the counter to clean some more he brought a warm croissant from the well-stocked plate to his lips, letting an audible ‘mmmm’ leave his mouth as it touched his tongue. “These are even better than yesterday's Jihoon!” he exclaimed, taking another bite from the lovingly prepared pastry. Jihoon took this chance to appear from behind the counter once more, grinning as he spoke. “I added a secret ingredient”. Just as Jaehyo was about to query what this ingredient was, Jihoon sent him a flirty wink, provoking an immediate reaction from the elder, Jaehyo forgetting what he was planning to ask in the first place. “You really like it though?” Jihoon questioned, leaning across the counter with a wide smile, reaching to grab Jaehyo’s hand absentmindedly, resulting from a deep intake of breath from the male. As he began to choke on his mouthful, not able to finish it before Jihoon touched him so suddenly, panic filled the youngers' face as he ran around from behind the counter, patting Jaehyo on the back gently as his eyes began to water. Jaehyo began to laugh as he saw Jihoon’s panic, feeling touched that someone was so worried for him. “Don’t…worry”, he spoke between coughs and soft laughter. “Just please don’t make me choke in future…”. After a sigh of relief on Jihoon’s part, a mischievous look filled his face before he spoke, his words almost causing Jaehyo to choke again out of shock, despite the intended innocence behind them: “I, Pyo Jihoon, sincerely promise I will never make you choke again, unless you ask It of me.” He smiled proudly after his words, though confused as to why Jaehyo was shocked at his kind statement. "Thank you Jihoon.."


	2. Chapter Two

Hours of conversation had brought the two males to the amount of laughter they were currently experiencing. Not much progress had been made cleaning, yet Jaehyo could swear he had never enjoyed someone’s company more. Gone were his nerves, mostly, and a new, unidentifiable feeling had filled its place instead. Every grin sent in Jaehyo’s direction caused his heart to speed up slightly, and each comment aimed at him caused the elder to go a deeper shade of red. He did attempt to hide this newfound colouring, yet he was convinced that Jihoon hadn’t even noticed it. It hadn’t occurred to Jaehyo that he potentially blushed every time he saw Jihoon, so the younger may have believed he was permanently a shade of red. “Jihoon-ah, do you not feel a little drunk? Being around you makes me feel drun-“ Jaehyo spoke, interrupted as he heard the bell of the front door. Confused, and slightly upset that Jihoon may not have heard his comment; the comment that he had spent hours trying to build up the courage to say, he turned to face the door, only to be greeted with the sight of a small tattooed man. Before Jaehyo could speak up and ask him what he was doing, he heard Jihoon shout to the younger with joy. The interaction made his heart drop for reasons he couldn’t explain. “Taeillie!” The bakery owner exclaimed, running over to pull him into a tight hug without hesitation. Jaehyo noticed that he held him close for longer than a friend would- but then again, Jihoon was overly friendly with everyone. Jaehyo couldn’t stop himself from questioning the two's relationship, the feeling of abandonment already rising high in his chest. He balled his hand into a fist, conflicted as to why he was feeling this. Jihoon was allowed other friends, of course he was. 

“I’m so sorry I’m late! One of the bearded dragons escaped, it was a panic! I did try to ring you, but you didn’t pick up” Taeil stated, pouting as he spoke the last part of his sentence. Jaehyo felt himself smile proudly to himself at hearing this statement, sure that he was the reason Jihoon hadn’t noticed his phone. Trying to expel this thought, he discreetly slapped himself, squinting at the pain. None of the two had even noticed he was there. Desperate to stop being ignored, he began to speak; his words coming out as more of a squeak than a sentence, however: “H-hi! I’M JAEHYO”. He stated, praying his sadness wouldn’t come through in his words. The two younger men turned to face him, Taeil nodding and smiling, walking over to offer a handshake. Jaehyo sadly gazed at the youngers' hand before gently shaking it with a grunt of dismay. Why did he have to be so kind? Now he felt jealousy and guilt; an awful combination. His train of thought was quickly interrupted by Jihoon’s loud, obnoxious speech, almost as if he were forgetting Jaehyo was there. “Taeillie! I saved you your favourite cakes!” He grinned his signature Jihoon grin, placing the cake plate in front of the two men, though Jaehyo didn’t dare touch it; knowing it wasn’t intended for him.

Taeil had a similar reaction to his elder as he tasted the cake, re-enacting a chef’s kiss for effect, grinning as he ate. “Amazing Jihoon! Ah, I love it when you cook for me” The smaller spoke, keeping all of his focus on the taller male. Jaehyo tried to slip in a word but was interrupted before he could even start. “And I love you eating my cakes”. Jihoon blew a kiss to Taeil, intentionally leaning over the counter to get closer to the smaller as he ate. The two acted as if Jaehyo wasn’t right beside them, Jihoon reaching to rest a gentle hand on Taeil’s cheek affectionately; the smiles they both exhibited, almost twins. “How busy was the pet store today?” Jihoon questioned, Jaehyo using all of his willpower not to get up and leave; that would seem rude on his part. “Hmm..” Taeil hummed as he ate, in thought. “Quite empty. A nice man called Yukwon came in and spent hours picking out outfits for his puppies, it was super cute-“. Jihoon interrupted as soon as he heard the world cute: “He was cute?” He spoke, almost looking alarmed. “No, silly, the dogs were cute” Taeil grinned as he saw Jihoon sigh in relief. It was at this moment that Jaehyo was almost certain that there was something going on between the two. Unsure why this bothered him so much, he swallowed; very sure the blush from his cheeks was far gone by now. He slipped from his chair seconds later, trying to be as quiet as possible. Reaching for his coat from the wooden coat hook positioned next to the door, Jaehyo pulled it over his arms; sadly, smiling in remembrance of a time that Jihoon had draped his coat over his arms for him, that time he felt special. He couldn’t say he felt special anymore. Reaching to push the door open he shouted a quick “Thank you” and “Goodbye”, leaving before he could hear if he had received a response. 

It took every ounce of willpower he had not to turn around and look at the cute shop, knowing how dreamy it would appear with the warm lights of the interior contrasting against the cold dark sky. Yet he knew exactly what he would see, two equally handsome men chatting with those addictive grins on their face. That was a sight he didn’t want to let himself see. He didn’t know if he would ever find the cause of the pit in his stomach he felt, despite the fact that it was full of delicious cakes and pastries. What he did know, however, is that he still desired Jihoon’s company just as much as he did when he had entered the bakery that evening. He would certainly be back again.


	3. Chapter Three

Jihoon, Jihoon, Jihoon. Jaehyo couldn’t get the man out his head. Whether it was his face, his voice, the memories of his playful teasing; every time the older male attempted to bring his focus back to his own store, he could not prevent himself from thinking of the other. It was simple: From Seoul was his happy place; it just happened to be another, smaller, boys happy place as well. Why Taeil kept reoccurring in his thoughts, Jaehyo could not explain. Jihoon was allowed other friends- of course he was, but there was something different about the small pet shop worker that just put him off. He was sure that the inexplicable desire to adore Taeil didn’t help his thought process, nor his guilt. The boy seemed perfect in every little way. If Jaehyo attempted to, he could not list a bad trait; never mind a trait negative enough to equate to the hatred that his brain was forcing onto him. Jaehyo didn’t hate people. Jaehyo was gentle, Jaehyo was kind, Jaehyo was simply a passive store owner- not a man of hatred. Nor was he stupid. He was aware that the disgust came purely from his own jealousy. Yet, that jealousy sent him down another unknown path. A path so covered in obstructions that he came out of it as confused as when he entered. Sure, he had heard of friend envy, but what use did friend envy have when he was already Jihoon’s friend.

“ah! Jaehyo!”. The voice of a customer brought him back to reality. He was incredibly thankful, to an extent that the shorter male in front of him would probably never understand. As he lifted his eyes from his desk, the small dog the younger male was holding caught his attention first; it was Yukwon, of course it was. He swore that he only visited his store so often due to the fact that Jaehyo let pets in. Why else would a dog walker like Kim Yukwon need a camping store? “Yu-“he started, interrupted due to the lengthy pause he took between hearing the other males voice and actually constructing a response. “You seem down-“Yukwon explained, a rather disappointed tone to his voice. Jaehyo couldn’t tell if he was disappointed at the lack of service, or rather, disappointed that he had to feel that way; but either or, he appreciated the concern. Jaehyo simply shook his head in response, forcing a fake smile to his lips. “It’s nothing. What can I do for you today?”. “Hmm. I don’t believe you-“He started, placing the tan coloured puppy onto the counter between the two. “I apologise if he gets fur anywhere- he was hurting my arms...besides, he’s friendly”. Jaehyo couldn’t help but stifle a small chuckle, glad to feel a real smile on his face once more. “What can I do for you?” Jaehyo then repeated once more, unsure whether he had chosen to ignore him, or simply not heard him the first time those words left his mouth. “I’m simply here to browse” the male smiled, reaching to comfort his dog, who now was sniffing Jaehyo’s fingers, much to his discomfort. “What do you do in the evenings?” Yukwon then blurted out, causing Jaehyo to feel as if he was in some sort of therapy session. “I come in here a lot and you always seem so...lonely. You should meet me for a drink sometime?” Jaehyo was taken aback by his words, mouth left hanging open at the query. “I often...I go to see my friend at the cafe...” He resounded, attempting to ignore the statement about his isolation; the statement he was in fact, very accurate on.

“From Seoul?” The other responded, a look of shock appearing on his face as if he had just made a significant discovery. “When I was at the pet store yesterday...” The second Jaehyo heard the phrase ‘pet store’ he held his breath. Here it was, Yukwon was the one whom spent hours with Taeil yesterday, Yukwon was about to tell him that Taeil was with the manager of ‘From Seoul’, and Jaehyo was still unable to comprehend why that upset him so much. “the man helping me pick out clothes for my puppies- he was headed to the cafe, small, tattoos; yet really cute” Jaehyo nodded, swallowing, dread filling him as Yukwon kept speaking, apparently not noticing the discomfort that was displayed obviously across Jaehyo’s facial features. “He mentioned that him and the manager were really good friends...I assume you know the manager too; I should meet him some time”. As Yukwon finished his sentence Jaehyo let out an audible sigh of relief, only now realising that he had been holding his breath the entire duration of Yukwon’s short anecdote. Embarrassed, he covered his mouth with a hand, trying to play it off as if he was yawning.

“He’s really nice, yeah...” Jaehyo spoke as he regained himself. “I might go and see him tonight in fact-“. It took him a few seconds to realise that he had just spoken his personal thoughts out loud, resulting in a soft red blush creeping up his face. He could feel the heat put planned to shift the blame to the malfunctioning air-con that he still hadn’t got around to repairing. As Jaehyo’s eyes made contact with the others, once more, he witnessed an unusual look of dismay on Yukwon. “I was hoping you wouldn’t be busy tonight; we’re having a small party at my place...” “I’ll be there!” Jaehyo interrupted with urgency. He knew that all his heart desired was to be back at the bakery, yet the devil on his shoulder wanted to punish Jihoon in a way, make him realise how much he relied on Jaehyo’s company when he didn’t show up. In the back of his mind he knew the younger may not even notice, yet it comforted him to think of the idea. “For real?” Yukwon exclaimed, an overjoyed expression on his face. Despite the confusion this expression brought to Jaehyo’s mind, he tried to force excitement into himself too- even if it was excitement about his personal revenge, rather than the actual party. “address?” Jaehyo questioned fast, hoping the younger would believe his act. “I’ll send it to your shop email when I get home!” With that, Yukwon picked up his puppy, carrying him to the door, turning to wave to Jaehyo before he left. “Be there or be square!” He shouted before exiting the small shop.

As the store emptied out, Jaehyo began to gradually feel more joy about the night ahead of him. Not only was he socialising for the first time in a while, not only was he bound to forge more friendships; he didn’t have to think about Jihoon for an entire night- and that was bliss.


	4. Chapter Four

Never once had Jaehyo imagined that he would be the type to spend hours picking out an outfit. He had no clue who would even be at this party. Perhaps it was fated to just be the two of them, perhaps Yukwon’s girlfriend would be hosting, perhaps it would be the biggest party of his time. All he had was an address. No dress code, no times, no preparation; though he supposed that most didn’t need preparation for a party-they were commonplace in Seoul. Throwing a simple white button up to the ground in frustration, Jaehyo looked to the clock. 7pm, the time From Seoul closed its doors for the evening. Surely Jihoon would have noticed his absence by now. Shaking the thought out of his head, Jaehyo reached into his closet, promising to himself that he would wear the first thing he picked out. He was under the presumption that the party had begun by now, and he was also under the presumption that he was late. Jaehyo was never late. Pulling on the rather plain, grey, yet uncomfortably tight sweater that he had accidentally picked out, he swallowed his nerves, reaching for his keys and leaving his front door, double checking the lock in order to enable any accidental break-ins.

As he dropped his keys into the left pocket of his jeans, he took a deep breath. The address was only a few blocks from his own residence, meaning he was more than capable of walking. However, he regretted this decision as he witnessed rain start to fall from the dark clouds above. Picking up his pace, he looked down to his phone to check the address once more, paranoid at the lack of any noise coming from the neighbouring streets. “number nine...number nine...” he mumbled under his breath as he arrived at the location, unable to figure out which house the party was taking place in. That was until a short, extremely loud, male ran into the centre of the road. He raised a brow in confusion, passing the orange-haired male off as just a drunkard and deciding not to get involved. Seconds later, it clicked, he was drunk...drunk people came from parties. Looking back up to the house he had just left he saw the polished number: number nine. After a sigh of relief left his lips, he reached down to check he still had hold of his house keys and made his way up the path. Before he could even knock on the door, it opened, causing the male to tumble forward a little, catching himself with the shoulders of the male in front of him. Yukwon was standing before him, dressed rather casually, to his satisfaction. “Jaehyo! I thought you’d never make it” He grinned, raising both brows as he gestured to the male, still dancing in the middle of the street. “I think we gave him too much to drink”. Jaehyo responded with a slight forced laugh, nodding and gazing inside at the well-decorated family home. “Can I-“ he began, followed by the response of Yukwon “of course! make yourself at home”.

Jaehyo was glad to see that the room wasn’t too crowded, just a group of young men whom he assumed were close friends of Yukwon’s. As he wandered in, he spotted a table strewn with bottles in the hall. Whilst the hall was a bizarre place to offer out drinks, he succumbed to their pleas for him to drink them, picking up a glass full of an unknown substance and bringing it to his lips; despite his promises to himself not to drink too much. Fruity. He recognised the flavour, perhaps gin? Whatever it was, it was way stronger than it needed to be. That explained the behaviour of the boy on the street then. Not wanting to enter the room filled with people just yet, Jaehyo began to look around, taking a seat on the bottom steps of the staircase before him. He liked this; a strong drink, himself, and a few others mingling around him, it was his idea of a good party. His relaxation was promptly disturbed as the orange-haired male crashed through the front door, giggling as he witnessed Jaehyo sitting by himself. “Come hereeee...” he slurred, reaching to grab Jaehyo’s hands. “No one can be alone at a partyyyyyy...” Due to his imminent fear of confrontation, Jaehyo allowed the smaller male to pull him from his position, nodding as he continued to speak barely recognisable sentences, feeling another full glass he passed to him. “It’s time to have funnnn!” He spoke through giggles and coughs, dragging Jaehyo to the occupied lounge, much to the amusement of the other men.

Jaehyo found himself pouring more and more unidentified liquid down his throat as the night went on. As he passed 4 drinks he stopped counting. As the minutes passed, his sips turned into gulps. He was having fun, and he was aware of this. It was a rare occasion and he was going to enjoy it to the fullest extent he could. Whilst he had never properly introduced himself to the people in the room with him, he felt at home. All of his joy could have just been the alcohol speaking but he didn’t care. He was happy, he was having fun, he wasn’t thinking about Jihoon. That was until someone brought up the bakery. His heart sank as he heard that familiar name for what he swore could be the twentieth time that day. “From Seoul does realllyyyy good cake...I wish it was open” The ginger boy who had now identified himself as ‘smart Kyung’, in oppose to his real name ‘Park Kyung’, stated without any particular provocation. An overwhelming urge filled Jaehyo at that moment. The one time he felt confidence, the one time he felt joy, why not bring that joy to Jihoon; Jihoon deserved it as an apology for not being his company that night. What he was about to do was something he would never do sober, but he couldn’t stop himself. “I... I think I’m going to head off now guys...” Jaehyo explained to the group, despite the blatant lie he was telling. “I’m at work tomorrow”. As he finished speaking, he turned to leave, not letting any of the men’s protests get to him. “Goodbye!” He shouted back through the door as he picked up his pace, finding himself at a slow jog as he headed to his happy place. Nowhere else made him happy like Jihoon’s bakery; and surely combining his happy mood with his happy place would create a result of pure bliss. Nothing felt like it could go wrong anymore.


	5. Chapter Five

*smut warning*

Finally, Jaehyo arrived. Looking at his watch, the has time ticked to 10pm. Whilst it was early to the men back at the party, he was sure Jihoon was getting ready to leave for home. He knew that obstructing his return to his house may be perceived as rude, but Jaehyo was there to do a good deed, to keep him company. Confused, he looked to the shop window. The bakery was empty, the lights were off. He was too late. Just on an off chance, he continued to walk to the front door, attempting to pull it open. To his surprise, it pulled open as easily as it would have earlier that day. Stepping a foot inside, he was concerned; had someone broken in, should he call the police? He began to investigate. He couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Without warning, a low groan escaped through the door at the back of the room, where Jaehyo assumed the staff spent their lunch break. In panic, he reached for an umbrella, hanging from the coat rack beside him. Someone must have forgotten to take it with them as they left the previous day. He felt his heart rate increase as made his way towards the door, making sure to keep silent. Who could be there? What could be there?

Terrified, Jaehyo pushed open the door, mouth opening wide in shock as his vision was filled with a sight he never planned, nor wanted to see. He felt sick, he wanted to escape. As he felt the first tear roll down his face, he held his breath. The two, visible to Jaehyo from across the staff room, hadn’t noticed a thing. Jaehyo was so desperate to close his eyes, yet kept them wide open in fear, terrified he would be spotted if he were to move an inch or make a slight sound. He was forced to watch. He was forced into one of the most emotionally painful situations he had ever experienced. Any other man would have simply retreated and apologised, many may have even enjoyed what they were seeing. But to Jaehyo it was agony. All he could do was stand there and pray they would stop what they were doing in time for him to quickly retreat and pretend he saw nothing. Yet he saw everything. He saw as the bakery owner he adored so much held Taeil down to his desk. He saw the clothes scattered all over the floor. He saw the naked men all over each other. It was truly reckless, he believed, doing something so public like this. Anyone could have walked in. In fact, Jaehyo wished that anyone but him could be in the position he was.

Jaehyo forced himself to observe as Jihoon pushed his throbbing member inside the begging, tattooed boy below him. Each thrust was met with low groans from the both of them, resulting in even more discomfort and pain for the elder. Jaehyo hadn’t expected Jihoon to look this good without his clothes on. From his buff arms, to his firm chest; even down to the place that Jaehyo just couldn’t stop himself looking- he was perfect. Whilst Jaehyo had never found himself judging the size of the men around him, Jihoon was impressive and he couldn’t deny that. At every moan, Jaehyo felt another tear fall. Maybe this was it. Maybe it was jealousy. Jaehyo desired to be in the place of Taeil and that was why he hated him so much. His hate was justified. Reaching to wipe tears from his cheek, his hands shaking, he tried desperately to pay attention to Jihoon; Jihoon only. He watched how his body moved as he entered the boy, he listened to the deep groans that left his throat as he hit the younger males prostate over and over, he watched the way his large hands explored the pale, tattooed body of the pet shop worker. He felt guilt for watching, yes, but it was overtaken with the heavy weight of grief. He was heartbroken. How it had taken him this long to figure out why the boy bothered him so much, he was unsure; but one thing was for sure- he despised his own ignorance. Jihoon had been here the whole time, yet it took a charming, cute male for his brain to process the feelings he had felt for months.

The scene in front of him was only getting more intense, the sounds leaving their mouths only inflicting more wounds in Jaehyo’s mind. Their pace was speeding up too, and the older knew what was coming. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t bear to witness the man he was unforgivably in love with finish inside another male. He couldn’t do it to himself. Panicking, tears never having stopped, Jaehyo let out a soft sob. His face filled with shock as he prayed that the two didn’t hear a thing. Much to his dismay, Jihoon turned his head. Terrified, Jaehyo let the umbrella he was still grasping fall to the floor and ran in fear, praying Jihoon hadn’t seen his face. He knew that the large male couldn’t leave the staff room without his clothes on, therefore giving him time to sprint away from the bakery, only stopping once he was sure he was out of sight. He had perhaps just made the biggest mistake, and biggest discovery of his life.

Stopping to regain breath, Jaehyo slumped against a brick wall in a dark, unknown alleyway- letting himself fall to the ground, unsure where he really was anymore. He didn’t care. He was sure he would never process these feelings. Why Jihoon? He had never found himself looking at a male like that before; perhaps why he hadn’t figured out his feelings sooner. But why? Why was the only word he could force out in his exhaustion. An exasperated “why” fell from his lips as he let his head drop into his hands and sobbed. There was no one here to see him, but either way, he couldn’t stop himself. “Why...why...why” he mumbled once more, coughing over his words as tears flowed from his eyes, giving no indication of ever stopping. He didn’t know where he would go from here, but one thing he did know; is that the alcohol had no effect on him anymore. He was just quivering, fearful Jaehyo; like he always had been.


	6. Chapter Six

Five unread messages may have been a normal situation for an average male to wake up to. Yet, to Jaehyo. This was bizarre. Who was messaging him at this time? Looking down to his worn watch, rubbing sleep from his eyes, he reinforced how early it really was to himself. It had only been a few hours since he forced himself home, his eyes having run out of tears. The cold night had blocked his nose; causing a paranoid fear of the flu to run through his mind. He passed it off, however. Jaehyo may not have been strong in social settings; but he could easily fight off a cold. The cold of the night before was nothing compared to a day at sea. Though, some factors of his dehydration had not yet gone away. Whilst he knew that sobbing for a straight three hours was bound to dehydrate him, no matter how much he drank now, his head still pounded. Praying that the messages were just a family member, or someone checking up; he unlocked his phone, shifting under his covers, trying to get into a more comfortable position. Every position just seemed to be wrong. Everything he did was wrong at the moment. He couldn’t shake off the thought of what he witnessed the night before. From the sounds that constantly rang through his hears to the lewd sights before him; everything about it was wrong. As he finally looked down to his phone, he unintentionally raised a brow in confusion. An unknown number? None of it made sense until he actually read the messages. Kyung. The ginger boy from the night before. Of course it was him. Straining his memory, Jaehyo could vaguely remember a situation where all the boys in the room swapped numbers, but that could have just been a dream; or perhaps an effect of the alcohol. He wished the entire night before hadn’t existed, he wondered whether Jihoon had caught him. He wondered whether he should ever return to his favourite bakery.

‘I really enjoyed your company last night! Do you want to meet up later?’ The message on his bright screen read. Moving to turn the brightness down he smiled a little; at least one thing had gone right that day. Nothing he did could shake the feeling of pain that was constantly running through his brain, however. Kyung could be a good distraction, yet, he had doubt that the younger would want to hear his sob stories of the bakery manager; he doubted even more that he’d want to admit them. Any other day Jaehyo would be shocked that someone wanted to hang out with him, yet the message from Kyung did nothing. His emotions were dampened, and he felt guilt for that very reason. Forcing himself to type a reply, he swallowed, praying that he would have the composure to be face to face with another male that day; especially considering his recent discovery. What if Kyung excited him? Was it all men, or was it just Jihoon? Fearfully, fingers shaking ever so slightly, causing a few typos, he typed a simple message. ‘Of course. Can we meet at your place tonight?’. Within seconds a reply arrived, informing Jaehyo of the time and location. All he had to do was show up. That seemed easier said than done.

It was 6pm by the time Jaehyo had reached Kyung’s door. He smiled at the small house. It was very Kyung. Perhaps purely due to the size. Despite his expression, he still struggled to keep his composure, a constant replay of Jihoon and Taeil’s endeavours in his mind. He was saved from these thoughts however, as Kyung opened the door to greet him. He was aware that he was supposed to be at the house half an hour previous, and he did not plan to make a habit out of being late; but he was sure that the small male would accept his apology if he explained his pain. Stepping into the abode, he nodded to Kyung, suddenly lost for words. He had no clue what to say. He had never met this boy sober and feared that he would be entirely different to his drunk, overly friendly persona. He was saved from this concept as soon as the boy began to speak, however. “Jaehyo, was it? Ah I’ll call you Jae. Do you want a drink? Anything to eat? You look tired-“Jaehyo interrupted him by shaking his head. “I would just like to talk...I-if that’s okay” Kyung nodded enthusiastically in response, mirroring the previous night’s actions, pulling him along by his hand into what he could only assume was Kyung’s bedroom. Looking around he smiled to himself. It was cute, real cute. Going to sit down slowly on his bed, he stopped himself mid-air. “Ah! I’m sorry! I never asked permission. May I sit down?” Kyung let out a laugh at his statement, causing a soft blush of embarrassment to appear across Jaehyo’s face. “Of course! You don’t need to ask” Jaehyo nodded, the words prompting him to take a seat. “You seem distressed” The younger spoke without warning, sitting beside his new friend. “I-it’s nothing” Jaehyo shook his head, afraid to let it out- afraid to admit it to himself. “Go on...” Kyung started, reaching to rest a hand on Jaehyo’s shoulder. “You can tell me anything, not only am I smart Kyung, I’m supportive Kyung” Jaehyo let out a small chuckle at the reference to the previous day, responding by shaking his head again. “It really is nothing”, “Want to watch a movie then? I’ve heard they’re good for relaxing” Kyung queried, obviously attempting to calm down the older male, his distress evident to the both of them. “A-actually, I may have something to talk about-“Jaehyo continued, vaguely remembering a moment the night before where Kyung mentioned his crush, a male. “You know that crush of yours...?” “Of course! Jiho. He has way too much power over this town, it’s disappointing. I’m waiting for when he goes bankrupt to approach him, I might be desirable then”.

Jaehyo laughed in response, shocked to find that the noise was genuine. “S-so, you like guys?” Jaehyo questioned shyly, his voice a murmur. “Mhm!” Kyung responded confidently with a nod. “They’re so beautiful Jae...I don’t see how the whole world doesn’t love men-“,“I think I do-“ Jaehyo suddenly interrupted, regretting the statement the second it left his mouth. Kyung looked at him with a shocked grin. “For real- “For the first time that he could remember, Jaehyo interrupted another’s speech. “I walked in on a male I admire last night- he was with...another male- I think I’ve figured it out- I wanted to be with him, not just his friend anymore”. A huge smile filled Kyung’s face at this sudden statement, his arms automatically wrapping around Jaehyo’s large frame. “I’m so proud of you!” “Wait- but I’m not sure, it might have been the alcohol- “He interrupted once more, shocked at his own bravery. “There’s only one way to find out- “Kyung simply stated, smirking very obviously at the older man. “What- wait- d...do you mean...” Was all Jaehyo could stutter out. He couldn’t believe that Kyung would suggest this, yet he wasn’t against the idea; maybe it would help him figure himself out, maybe it would help get his urges out of his system so he could become a functioning member of society once more. “It’s as friends, and besides, we both need distractions from our elusive future husbands- do we not?” Jaehyo nodded, shocked that he was about to do what he was. “The-there’s one thing though Kyung- “He mumbled shyly. “I’ve never taken my clothes off in front of anyone before- “


	7. Chapter Seven

*smut warning*

“We can start slow” Kyung stated, smiling comfortingly to his elder. Jaehyo could not wrap his mind around what he was about to attempt; yet, was unusually excited for the act. There was no doubt he was shaking slightly, sweat dripping from his brow as he nodded to everything Kyung said, eager to get started- yet terrified he would make a mistake. “You want to suck me off first?” Kyung spoke, the bold words leaving his mouth confidently without much warning. Jaehyo continued to nod, enacting a double take before realising what he had really said. “Y-you want me to-?” “Of course! Only if you want to though, consent is key” Kyung grinned, sending a wink to the older, causing his mouth to drop open in shock, only able to nod back. “Right now?” “Right now, Jae.” He smirked, opening his legs, almost as an invitation. Jaehyo knew what he had to do, having witnessed material online of women with their lips around men; assuming it was the same when a male did it- yet he froze after he left the beds surface. “D-do I just- “, “Do it like they do it in porn. Surely if you believed you liked women all these years, you’ve indulged in some of that” Jaehyo acted out his signature nod once more and knelt down before the smaller man. He could swear his heart was beating out of his chest as he reached out to unzip Kyung’s jeans, the nerves on his face very very obvious. “Come on, let me help you” the younger stated, reaching to undo his own pants, shuffling them down his legs, provoking a series of shaky breaths from the other man. What was he doing? And why was he enjoying it? These were the only things Jaehyo could ask himself as he made eye contact with Kyung’s member through his thin boxer shorts.

“Should I- “Jaehyo started, to the response of soft laughter from Kyung. It wasn’t degrading laughter, nor laughter to embarrassed about, it was comforting; yet Jaehyo still found his face getting hotter and hotter. He swore you could cook an egg on his cheeks soon. “Just go for it, Jae” Kyung stated with a supportive smile. “As long as you don’t use your teeth we should be fine-“ This response earned a nervous laugh from Jaehyo before he returned to the moment, reaching a hand out, letting himself slip it down the younger boys pants, resting it on his bare cock. He knew that this wasn’t how it was meant to go, but the urge to just feel another man overtook him. He mumbled an apology, before slipping his hand out and pulling the remaining cloth away from Kyung’s crotch, his mouth falling open in shock as he saw the member, breathing getting significantly more heavy and uneven. He knew that it wasn’t very big, yet it still caused an impromptu movement as he tried to hide the fact that he was becoming erect himself. Pushing his legs together he looked to Kyung, trying to make his expression neutral once more. “How do I- you know, make you hard?” He questioned, knowing that it was a stupid question the second it left his lips. “You could just touch me, but I’d prefer if you took your clothes off. Would be sure to make me just as excited as you” Kyung teased, earning a gasp of shock from the older as he realised how obvious his erection was. “I-o-okay”. He stuttered, reaching down to unbutton his own shirt, trying desperately to bring his attention away from the bare crotch of the male he was kneeling before.

As he let his shirt fall to the floor, Kyung nodded, replying with a short “thank you”. Surely enough, the younger did get harder within the minute, placing one hand to rest on Jaehyo’s shoulder as he spoke supportively. “Do you know what you’re doing Jae?” “I-i think so” The elder responded with a nod, swallowing, shocked at how far he had come already. He was proud of himself, yet, struggled to come to terms with how different this felt. “Can I- “Kyung nodded before he could continue speaking, causing the male to stop abruptly, making direct eye contact with the male’s hard member. Leaning in, he reached for the base of his shaft with one hand, letting it rest between his palm and his fingers. After mustering up enough courage, Jaehyo let himself take Kyung in his mouth. He inhaled deeply in shock as he felt him against his own lips, eyes shutting automatically. He liked this feeling a lot. A lot. He gave himself a second to regain composure before taking more of his length in his mouth. He wanted to savour the moment, almost as if he were offered his favourite food- yet there was barely any of it. Looking up to Kyung, the member still in his mouth, he heard a soft groan fall from the male’s mouth, only turning Jaehyo on more. He began to move his lips up and down his cock, sucking softy as he did so, feeling his own saliva drip down his chin, insanely embarrassed at the notion. He wondered if that happened to everyone or if he had overactive saliva ducts. Ignoring that thought, he began to move his hand back and forth in time with his lips, earning a pleased moan from the male above him. Hearing another male moan, particularly now he knew it was his own fault; drove him crazy. Suddenly all he cared about was making Kyung feel good. He let himself speed up, low groans coming from his own mouth too, muffled by the deceivingly large member in it.

As he stopped to take a breath, he looked up to Kyung, breathing heavily; not even attempting to hide how desperate he was anymore, his own legs quite far apart. “Can I try something Jae?” The younger male questioned, his face still resembling the face of someone who was feeling a lot of pleasure. Jaehyo nodded, desiring to speak for the first time, yet struggling due to how out of breath he was. “Just keep going and I’ll- “Kyung was interrupted by his own unexpected moan as Jaehyo took him in his mouth once more, resulting in an unintentional thrust into the elder’s mouth. Jaehyo’s eyes widened in shock, provoking Kyung’s first blush of the day. He was embarrassed, and Kyung never got embarrassed. Blinking fast in surprise, the younger reached to bury his hands in Jaehyo’s hair, trying to keep his cool as he felt the male’s lips run up and down his desperate cock. He let his other hand fall to his crotch, taking Jaehyo’s hand away from his member; yet allowing him to keep moving. Gently pulling at Jaehyo’s hair, Kyung pushed his head further down his cock, attempting so desperately to keep his hips still as he went deeper and deeper down Jaehyo’s throat. The older male felt tears run down his face he filled up his mouth almost entirely. Jaehyo would have never expected a male with such a small dick to be able to fill him up, yet he did. Almost choking, he let out an involuntary moan, enjoying the pain a little bit too much. Kyung couldn’t hold back any longer. He bucked his hips without warning, hitting the back of Jaehyo’s throat with a loud groan, the other male feeling the effects of this too. Without a doubt he was about to choke on the younger, but he didn’t care; he just wanted more.

Both men continued at a fast pace for the duration of Kyung’s pleasure, Jaehyo only slowing down as he felt the hand in his hair tense up. Kyung was getting more and more desperate, inching towards finishing more every second. Jaehyo slipped his mouth from the member as he realised this, simply to ask a statement through hitched breaths. “C-can you finish-i-in my mouth please” He spoke, Kyung’s whine of desperation accompanied by a nod. Knowing how much the younger wanted him made him hot and flustered, his own cock threatening to escape his pants. Not wanting to leave any time for Kyung to change his mind, he reconnected his lips with the boy’s crotch, sucking harder and harder until he felt the cock twitch in his mouth, knowing what was coming next. The most erotic sound so far fell from Kyung’s mouth as Jaehyo felt the warm liquid squirt into his throat, his own graphic noises combining with Kyung’s in some sort of erotic harmony. He hadn’t expected it to taste like this, but he wasn’t mad.

As Kyung finished, he let the older pull his mouth away. Jaehyo wiped his lips and chin with the back of his hand, knowing that some of Kyung’s semen had escaped his lips. Looking up to the younger in pure disbelief all he could mutter was a short “thank you. thank you so much”. He was eternally grateful for what the younger male had enabled him to discover and feel that day. And one thing was for sure, he definitely liked men.


	8. Chapter Eight

Why Jaehyo was doing what he was was something that he’d never be able to comprehend. Surely after seeing what he had seen a few days previous; entering the bakery was the last thing that would make him feel good. Yet, he couldn’t keep away. Part of him was afraid that Jihoon had recognised him that night; that the second he walked into the familiar building he would be called out and shamed by everyone in there- yet, if something as drastic as this happened, he was sure it would have happened sooner. Jihoon could find a way to contact him if needs be, it wasn’t exactly like Jaehyo was the most elusive customer From Seoul entertained. He was unsure that he would still be able to call the small building his happy place as he arrived at the front door, at an earlier time than his usual visits. As he reached out his arm to push the heavy door open, his heart rate began to noticeably speed up. This was it, he was going to see Jihoon again; clothed this time. To his relief, as he entered the building, Jihoon seemed to be in his usual joyful and oblivious mood, shouting across the room to inform customers about his establishment. As he made eye contact with the larger male, Jaehyo’s heart dropped. He couldn’t seem to push the image of his naked body from his mind; though luckily the smaller male was nowhere to be seen. To his surprise, Jihoon greeted him as if nothing had happened, waving over the older male with a joyful “Hi Jaejae!”. Jaehyo slowly but surely made his way to the counter, nodding; tears threatening to leave his eyes as he got closer and closer to the man he now knew he was desperately in love with. “H-hi” he mumbled, keeping his eyes down- afraid that eye contact would break him. “You haven’t been visiting recently-“ Jihoon started, to Jaehyo’s surprise. The elder had been convinced that Jihoon wouldn’t even notice his absence. “Has something been wrong?” He questioned in an overly friendly, caring tone. The tone of the male’s words forced a tear from Jaehyo’s left eye; provoking him to quickly wipe it away- acting as if nothing had happened. Shaking his head, he forced a smile and looked to the wall behind Jihoon in order to attempt to fake eye contact. “I-I’ve been fine” He mumbled, much to the dismay of the other male. “Why are you crying then?” Jihoon questioned obliviously, leaning over the counter to try and wipe away the others tears. In shock, Jaehyo jolted away the second Jihoon touched his face, the action only forcing the waterworks to start. “N-nothing...no” Jaehyo shook his head, speaking through sniffles; angry at himself for letting down his guard. He hated how embarrassing the situation was, especially in front of the man he wanted to impress most in the world. Jihoon blinked, and Jaehyo could swear that he saw a brief expression of heartbreak across his features- but everyone felt that when their friends were upset, right? “Have I hurt you?” Jihoon questioned, his voice gentle and low; making sure no one overhead. Jaehyo knew this was intended to be a kind gesture, yet the low tone of his already attractive voice drove him insane- and he swore the world was attempting to cruelly tease him. “N-not you...” Jaehyo mumbled, wiping his eyes aggressively, pointing to a pastry displayed in the counter. “One of them please?” He spoke, trying to pretend that nothing had happened, hoping Jihoon would get the idea and do the same. 

Jihoon reached for the pastry with a nod, his usual joyful face plastered with a conflicted expression. This expression broke Jaehyos heart; Jihoons usual smile was therapeutic to the older male. As he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins, gesturing for Jihoon to take them, Jihoon pushed his hand away; shaking his head. “It’s on the house” He stated, trying to force a smile onto his face but struggling real hard to do so. He hated seeing his friends hurt; especially when he was completely in the dark. “Do you want to go to the back room to talk?” Jihoon raised a brow, desperate to get an answer from his older friend. Jaehyo, mouth now full of warm pastry; satisfied by the consistently amazing taste of it, shook his head almost aggressively. The last thing he wanted was to be back in that room. From what he could decipher, the ‘back’ room was the room where Jihoon had been with Taeil many nights before and the image still scarred him. After a small unexpected spike of bravery on Jaehyos part, he spoke a bold sentence he never would have expected to fall from his timid lips. “Is Taeil going to be here tonight?” He swallowed as the words left his mouth, regretting the statement the second it hit Jihoons ears. Jihoon shook his head, simply responding: “He’s busy” and clenching his fist. If Jaehyos eyes weren’t deceiving him, he could have sworn that Jihoon looked angry as he mentioned the tattooed boy. Jaehyo nodded, sighing in relief a little too loudly. “Has Taeil hurt you too?” Jihoon questioned absentmindedly as he cleaned up some of the messier areas on the top of his counter. Jaehyo had never seen the bakery manager in any state other than overjoyed, so his negative expression was confusing to the elder. “I-i, in a way...” he mumbled, hoping Jihoon wouldn’t hear, knowing he would be the first to question. To his discomfort, Jihoon had heard. He shook his head, letting his fist fall to the counter a little harder than he had intended. This was very unlike Jihoon. 

2 hours...1 hour...30 minutes. It was time. Jihoon escorted the final customer out of the building as Jaehyo’s eyes let go of the clock with relief. He was nervous, really nervous what he would be told- but some sick part of him was desperate to hear how much Jihoon now hated the boy previously keeping them apart. To his dismay, the first words that left Jihoons lips were “I miss him.” Trying to swallow in order to keep the tears back, nodding and trying to conjure up some words of support: he came up with nothing. All Jaehyo wanted was to tell him to leave Taeil and come home with him- but the boy would never have the bravery to do that. Not in a million years. Jihoon brushed stray hair out of his face as he began to explain that him and Taeil had been together for a while, nothing serious to Jaehyo’s relief; but they were really close. The elder sniffed, afraid that the other may hear, desperate to hold back the tears that were threatening to escape. To his surprise, Jihoon reached out to hold one of Jaehyo’s hands; for what he assumed was support. Jaehyo knew that his best chance at this was being supportive to Jihoon, letting the other know he was trustworthy. Surely, eventually Jihoon would notice that the elder male looked at him a little different without the need to explain. That was Jaehyo’s wish. Yet the fear of Jihoon ever finding out his deep crush was strong enough to stop him from doing anything too obvious. So, Jaehyo stuck to showing the younger that he was there for him. Maybe the love would come naturally that way, or so he prayed. Returning to the conversation at hand, Jaehyo raised a brow, confused as to why anyone would ever stay away from Jihoon long enough for him to miss them. He tightened his grip on the youngers hand, his heart rate speeding up as the other reciprocated the action. “Someone walked in on us a few days ago...I left the door open like the idiot I am-“ Jihoon spoke through clenched teeth. Jaehyo had never expected Jihoon was capable of getting this angry- especially at himself. Jaehyo swallowed as he realised this was entirely his fault...he was the one who walked in on them. Maybe if he admitted his mistake Taeil would forgive Jihoon. But then, why did he want that? He wanted Jihoon to himself, not to Taeil. It was just agony seeing Jihoon hurt like this; he missed the cheerful bakery manager. “Y-you aren’t an idiot...” Jaehyo stated in response, the shaking of his hands becoming more and more obvious the longer Jihoon held onto one of them. “People make mistakes! If I was in his position I wouldn’t be mad-“ He blurred out, jerking his hand away to cover his mouth as if he had spoken out of line. Jihoon looked to the elder in confusion. He hadn’t understood how difficult that sentence was for Jaehyo to say out loud. The insinuation of the two of them together was only imaginary but it was enough to make him feel extreme guilty. He knew he wasn’t inclined to feel guilty over a simple crush, a simple slip of his mind, yet he predicted that the thought of the two of them together would make Jihoon uncomfortable; and so the guilt stayed- strong and clear in his mind.


End file.
